[ARC5] Glide Bomb Control Box

[Mike Morrow]

Michael wrote of the BC-1156-A on eBay:

> Would this be the control box used with the system that used SCR-274-N
> receivers on the ka-boom side?

You're referring to the AN/CRW-3.  This was part of the glide bomb radio
control system AN/CRW-3.  This control system was part of the late-WWII
GB-4 glide bomb.  SCR-274-N HF receivers were modified slightly to provide
a connection to the RF and IF stages for an external electronic gain control
signal from AM-41/CRW-3.  The dial was removed except during frequency
adjustment.  The original nomenclature was altered with a paper tag to end
with a “-BM”.  The receivers were held in special mountings for the AN/CRW-3.
Components:  BC-454-BM (3.0 to 6.0 MHz) or BC-455-BM (6.0 to 9.1 MHz).
I don't have any information about the associated control transmitter.

However, the control box in the auction is the BC-1156-A, part of the RC-186,
using Transmitter-Modulator BC-1158.  The BC-1158 transmitted MCW tones on one
of 25 crystal-controlled frequencies in the 53 to 95 MHz band, 12 watts output.
It was part of an azimuth-only (AZON) glide bomb control transmitter system.
The associated receiver was the R-74/CRW-2 (80 to 90 MHz) or the R-75/CRW-2A
(53 to 93 MHz), located in the tail fin section of the VB-1 or VB-2 glide bombs.

The BC-1158 and BC-1156-A were also part of the range and azimuth (RAZON) glide
bomb control system AN/ARW-36.  The associated receiver R-150/CRW-7 (65.9 to
92.3 MHz) was located in the tail fin section of the VB-3 glide bomb.  The
AN/ARW-36 could also control VB-1 or VB-2 glide bombs in AZON mode only.

Finally, the BC-1158 and BC-1156-A were also part of the AN/ARW-9, an airborne
remote control bomb release system designed to effect simultaneous release of
bombs from groups of aircraft in a formation.  The associated receiver system
in the other aircraft was the AN/ARW-10 (using the R-74/CRW-2, 80 to 90 MHz)
or AN/ARW-10A (using the R-150/CRW-7, 65.9 to 92.3 MHz).

I think that's about it for the BC-1156-A.

Mike / KK5F